John Olver to retire; redistricting may ease

Could have faced McGovern in ’12

US Representative John Olver, an Amherst Democrat, will retire at the end of his term in January 2013, ending a political career that dates back more than 40 years, and taking significant pressure off the congressional redistricting process in Massachusetts.

His announcement could offer one easy fix for what had been a sticky political problem for the state: Massachusetts is losing one of its 10 congressional seats, all held by Democrats.